The Dickinson press., 1887-08-06
ALL SORTS OF RELICS.
BRIC-A-BRAC MANUFACTURED TO
SUIT COLLECTORS DEMANDS.
The Ease with Which Buyers Are l,e-
ceived by Appcarances-rractic Pco-
pie Who Arc Not Good Subjects for
the Dcaler-Old Clocks.

pie Who Arc Not Good Subjects for
the Dcaler-Old Clocks.
Two young women stood in front of what
appeared to I've an elegant bronze statue i'll a
bric-a-brac store i'll Broadway The statue
represented horse croucLng ready to spring,
and a half nude rider clinging to his back
The admiration of the young women was
boundless, and they exhausted all the super.
latives i'll giving expression to it. One of
them could not help patting the horses side,
although the sign Hands Off was hanging
from his back. She wanted to touch some-
thing that had come from the workshop of
one Of the old masters. Had she carefully
examined the horses hind hoof, a reasonable
doubt would have been raised as to whether
the statue was the work of al ancient expert
There was piece Clipped OFF the hoof, and
although it was small, u fiber or grain could
be seen i'll the material. The beautiful figure
was not bronze. 1t was only papier mache
and was made in this city.
"While it is not becoming in me-" said the
proprietor Of the store, after the women had
gone out, ito talk about my customers, yet
can't help it sometimes Why, have to
laugh i'll peoples faces frequently when see
how easily they are deceived by appear
ances They make up their minds that
things are genuine because they look so.
This is why lric-a-brac buyers are so easily
gulled. III they are pleased, that is enough,
and they will pay four or five prices for
something that suits their fancy All the
customers are not inclined that way, how
ever. had an old woman in here this morn
ing to whom gave some facts and figures
about an old Venetian mirror. She drank in
my long story with wondering eyes and then
offered 50 for the glass.
| SOME PRACTICAL PEOPLE.
"'rhere are some practical people who do
not place any value upon age and association.
They are not fit subjects for tho bric-a-brac
dealer. The business is not what it used to
be, and unless You have something renl,y' fine
it is hard to get n good price. Overproduc-
tion has flattened the trade. For every gel,-
uine relic of the olden time, there are 100 imi-
tations. Bric-a-brac from China and Japan
was tho rage, and the importations were
heavy until about year ago. Then the fac
tories i'll Birmingham and other places
turned the goods out so rapidly that China
and Japan wele overstocked. There was
big run on japanese bronzes. They were
supposed to be hammered in Japan, but were
really stamped by machinery i'll England.
Americans like to he humbugged, and the
largest part of the stuff is sent here.
| "1lere is u case of swords, representing tho
style of every count,y-foils, daggers, and
Toledo blades. They are all supposed to be
ancient, but are made in Sheffield The world
is full of Damascus blades made i'll that enter
prising town. Here is real Damascus blade
It will cut without sign of injury metal that
would turn the edge of the Sheffield imita-
| ;. u
and weapons now.
| bogus IVORY AND EBONY.
"The deception practiced in ivory goods
would make one believe that there was no
honesty. Beautiful ivory carvings, that arc
said to have been picked up in the ruins of an
ancient city, are nodded from mixture of
bone dust and gum, which takes on n high
polish. Acids put OH the stain Of nge. A
mother of pearl is made from celuloid that
would deceive an expert, but it becomes brit
tic and breaks easily. Here is an elegant
piece of cabinet work See how fine the lines
are. Yet it is an imitation made of wood and
glue pressed into lnolds which are cut so well
that the fine lines Of genuine carving arc
brought out clearly. have seen this pressed
nounced 1t real.
| VeiiuAie epoiiy - HlRHly pIlZeu, aAu ILeTo
is n good demand for it. What is the use Of
trying to find it when an excellent imitation
is made from beechwoods The wood is first
dried, then boiled in nitrate of iron and
soaked in logwood. The weight and shade
are almost perfect Old clocks that have
moon faces and solve a variety of astronomi-
cal problems, and arc supposed to have told
the time in some ancient manor, stand in
many Railways today and seem to tell the
story of other days. They are nearly all
made in this city and are hardly old enough
TO tick. When there was a rage for mummy
cnses. decorated in the fashion and colors of
the time when Egypt was power among the
nations, more than enough to supply the de-
mand We're made in this wicked town. In
fact, everything thatis worth having in brio.
a-brac is made here, and made we'll New
| York Tribune.